Mike Johanns' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Nebraska Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.

1) Budget Priorities

a) Agriculture

b) Arts

c) Defense

d) Education

e) Environment

f) FEMA

g) Homeland security

h) International aid

i) Law enforcement (Federal)

j) Law enforcement (State)

k) Medical research

l) National parks

m) Public health services

n) Scientific research

o) Space exploration programs

p) Transportation and highway infrastructure

q) United Nations

r) Welfare

s) Other or expanded categories

2) Defense Spending

a) Armed forces personnel training

b) Intelligence operations

c) Military hardware

d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment

e) National missile defense

f) Pay for active duty personnel

g) Programs to improve troop retention rates

h) Research and development of new weapons

i) Troop and equipment readiness

j) Other or expanded categories

3) Taxes

Indicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.

Family Income Taxes

a) Less than $12,000

b) $12,001-$40,000

c) $40,001-$100,000

d) $100,001-$180,000

e) $180,001-$350,000

f) $350,001 and above

g) Other or expanded categories

Other Taxes

a) Alcohol taxes

b) Capital gains taxes

c) Cigarette taxes

d) Corporate taxes

e) Gasoline taxes

f) Inheritance taxes

g) Other or expanded categories

Deductions/Credits

a) Charitable contribution deduction

b) Child tax credit

c) Earned income tax credit

d) Medical expense deduction

e) Mortgage deduction

f) Student loan credit

g) Other or expanded categories

Yes

4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?

Yes

5) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?

6) Other or expanded principles

I believe in less government, more individual responsibility and greater opportunity. Lowering the tax burden is a critical component to ensuring the continued strength and vitality of our nation, which is why I support making the Tax Cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent.

j) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).

k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).

l) Other or expanded principles

While we need to ensure our children are receiving the highest quality education, I did not support "No Child Left Behind" when I was Governor and I do not support it now. I support standards, but not the federal government dictating the standards for our state. I will push back on any attempts to implement more mandates on the states.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

a) Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.

X

b) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.

c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.

d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.

X

e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.

X

f) Support expanding child healthcare programs.

g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.

h) Other or expanded principles

I will work to provide individuals and families affordable access to quality health care and oppose a single-payer government run program. I would advocate for health care policies to be tax deductible if purchased by an individual or family and allow small businesses to form alliances to purchase care at the lower cost offered to larger companies.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

d) Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.

e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.

X

f) Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.

g) Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.

h) Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.

i) Other or expanded principles

My 5-point plan on illegal immigration is: secure the border, provide no amnesty, implement an effective employment verification program so employers only hire legal U.S. residents, those here illegally must go back to their home country and re-enter this country lawfully and if an illegal immigrant commits a serious crime while here, they forfeit the privilege of citizenship.

International Aid

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.

X

a) Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.

X

b) Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.

c) Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.

d) Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.

e) Other or expanded principles

International Policy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.

Yes

a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?

Yes

b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?

Yes

c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?

Yes

d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?

Yes

e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?

No

f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?

g) Discuss your proposals for Iraq.

Although we may debate the decision to be in Iraq, our policy should be to finish the work we have started. As security is restored, the Iraqi government stabilizes and Iraqis can provide their own security, we can move U.S. troops to a support role and ultimately redeploy them.

Yes

h) Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?

No

i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?

Yes

j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?

Yes

k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?

No

l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?

No

m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?

Yes

n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?

Yes

o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Yes

p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?

Yes

q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?

Yes

r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?

s) Other or expanded principles

International Trade

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

No

a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?

Yes

b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?

Yes

c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?

Yes

d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

No

a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?

Yes

b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?

Yes

c) Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?

No

d) Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?

No

e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?

No

f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?

Undecided

g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?

h) Other or expanded principles

While I do not support research on new embryonic stem cell lines, I support President Bush's policy to limit research on existing embryonic stem cell lines because it prevents the destruction of new embryos for the purpose of federally funded research.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.

b) Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.

c) Decrease benefits paid to retirees.

d) Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.

e) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.

f) Other or expanded principles

We must honor our commitment to those currently receiving Social Security and future recipients. We must also continue to help those who rely on the benefits provided by Medicare and Medicaid. Democrats and Republicans must work together for a bi-partisan reform to ensure the continued viability of these important programs.

Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

I will fight for fiscally responsible policies that benefit Nebraska's farmers, ranchers and families. If elected, I will seek a seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee to continue working for Nebraska's farmers and ranchers, as I have throughout my career. I will oppose taxes increases, fight to make the Tax Cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent, and bring Nebraska's common-sense, fiscally conservative principles to the U.S. Senate. Another top priority will be to continue supporting the War on Terror and our brave men and women in uniform who are fighting to protect our freedom and their families back at home.